Known bimodal trailers and semi-trailers include framework and attached bogies for transporting cargo during highway and railway transit. These bimodal trailers and semi-trailers face the logistical difficulty of supplying sufficient cargo in both transport modes. For example, these bimodal trailers and semi-trailers are limited to closed-loop operations in order to balance trailers and bogies for both operations. Such limitations have reduced the country-wide use of the bimodal technology. Accordingly, it would be desirable to extend the use of such technology to other intermodal applications.
Regular container transport over the highway is often done with standard container chassis. These standard container chassis are skeleton frames having rear and front bolsters equipped locking devices for securing the container. The front end of these standard container chassis has a king-pin installed, and the rear end of these standard container chassis has a simple running gear with spring suspension, axles and brakes installed. These standard chassis have permanently fixed suspensions and are available only in twenty foot or fifty-three foot configurations. The suspensions of these standard container chassis is a horizontal sliding design for complying with bridge laws. These standard container chassis are light weight for maximizing payloads but have no technical capability for use in rail operations. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a container chassis with bimodal capabilities, thereby expanding the use of container chassis as well as bimodal technology.
For highway transit, known bimodal trailers generally have a front end for connecting to a tractor and a rear end equipped running gear. These bimodal trailers can be connected to, and pulled behind, a tractor while their running gear contacts and traverses the highway. For railway transit, these bimodal trailers generally have a female connector on the front end and a male connector on the rear end, both connectors are for connecting to a respective connector of a rail bogie. When in rail-use, these bimodal trailers are connected to, and suspended between bogies such that no part of the bimodal trailer contacts the railway track. This is normally achieved by applying installed lift-axles, which are activated by air hydraulics supplied from a tractor. Such air-ride axles are significantly more expensive than spring suspension and also have a greater weight. Moreover, the raised suspension has to be safely secured in the upper position for preventing an accidental lowering of the same, which can cause accidents while in rail operation. This securing process requires expensive components and is time consuming because every gear has to be controlled and checked prior to train departure. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a bimodal trailer and container chassis that does not require an air-lifting and securing of the same. In addition it would be desirable to provide a bimodal trailer and container chassis operationally suitable in both highway and railway transit while complying with relevant highway and railway laws, rules, and regulations.